Bushwise writer, Author at Bushwise

One of the best ways to get FGASA

Who is FGASA? FGASA stands for the Field Guides Association of Southern Africa has set guiding standards for many years and continues to maintain the highest standards within the guiding industry. Its is an accredited provider with the Culture, Arts, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport, Sector Education Training Authority (CATHSSETA). About FGASA? At FGASA, our aim...

My gap year in South Africa

3 min read College graduation was fast approaching. I could feel the approach of freedom, but I had no idea what I would do next. I’d get a job, of course, but I really wanted a break after four years of nonstop studying. My parents encouraged me to think creatively about the best use of...

How to become a Field Guide (NQF2)

Photo by Sean Cawood

There are a few different options on how to get your qualification and where to do your training, however this is a simple list of what is needed to become a Field Guide. We prefer to use the FGASA syllabus and requirements. In this blog we’ll talk about the things you need to be a...

Bushwise and the Southern African Wildlife College: scholarship student update

A few months back, we introduced four new field guide students – Queeneth, Siphiwe, Slon and Thinnah – who received full scholarships to study under the new collaboration between Bushwise and the Southern African Wildlife College. 2 min read This collaboration is part of our joint effort to contribute to transformation in the guiding industry,...

Field guiding: FGASA practical assessment

Weeks of hard work and practice have led us to this point: FGASA practical assessment. Hours of practice driving, reading and studying the natural world around us culminates in each student leading a three-hour safari. Photo blog by Louise Pavid 2 min read FGASA practical assessment week is always the most hyped five days of...

Training as a nature guide in the African bush

Nature guide, nature site guide, field guide or safari guide. You might have heard these terms used interchangeably before. In South Africa, these are all terms used for people who lead guided experiences in the African wilderness. Safari guides are most often associated with iconic African wildlife, like lions and elephants. But with the same...

Photo blog: a Lowveld welcome to our new Bushwise students

The beginning of each new Bushwise course fills the Lowveld air with anticipation and excitement. Not only for the newest intake of field guiding hopefuls, but also for us, the Bushwise staff. Before the new batch of students arrive, we know a little about them – their names, where they’re from, and a bit about...

The impact of drought and rain cycles in the Lowveld

This blog on the impact of drought and rain cycles in the Lowveld was originally published in 2017 by Gerhard van Niekerk. Location of the Lowveld The Lowveld is an area that lies within two provinces of South Africa, Limpopo and Mpumalanga provinces. It is called the Lowveld due to its low altitude in the...

Celebrating the newest class of Bushwise graduates

We’re taking a moment to celebrate our Bushwise graduates – a group of incredible individuals who have just completed their six-month Professional Field Guide course. As they head on to the next stage of their career, Bushwise’s Louise Pavid bids them farewell with this thoughtful story. Six short months ago, 34 fresh new faces arrived...

A horse trails guide in the African bush

Jenika Pohl is a Bushwise alumnus and horse trails guide with Ant’s Nest and Ant’s Hill in the Waterberg region of South Africa. The Ant Collection specialises in horseback safaris. In this blog, Jenika tells us her story of how she came to Bushwise and eventually ended up in a dream job as a horse...